THE FOREIGNER IN OUR MIDST

Our granddaughter had a bi-continental relationship with a young man who worked in London while she worked in New York.  He would travel to New York then she would visit him in London.  She’d met his family who lived in a large converted mill built over a small narrow river in Cambridge.  Since his work mostly involved using the internet he could work anywhere and she was able to travel to London on business for her company as well as spent vacations there.

Two years ago our family numbering about 20 plus our foreign visitor spent the days before Christmas in a resort on Siesta Key.  This was our first meeting with the young gentleman. Everyone was so excited to finally meet him. We had heard he was very quiet and soft-spoken.  We met him for the first time at the resort and we all circled him moving in close to hear what he had to say because he really was soft-spoken. Can you imagine being surrounded by about twenty people you have never met? We loved to hear his accent and were constantly leaning into him.

We found him dignified as well as delightful but I felt that our large boisterous family was probably bewildering to him. I think he was happy when we went our separate ways as we walked the beach.

They eventually dissolved their romance although both were unhappy with the breakup. He disliked New York and while she loved London, having spent a semester there while in college, she didn’t want to live there.

I hope this year we get to meet her new friend who is a talented musician and is currently composing an opera and lives within walking distance.